On October 3, 2013, the world watched in horror as photos emerged of a boat full of migrants from the horn of Africa, seeking refuge on the Italian island of Lampedusa, sank, killing more than 350 people.
In the seasons of Advent and Christmas, when the minds of Christians are centered on biblical Bethlehem, there’s a chance to visit the Bethlehem of today virtually.
Friday will be the 40th day of the most recent full-scale military conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the landlocked region of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. The mountainous and forested land, historically called Artsakh by its majority ethnic Armenian residents, is a territory of 17,000 square miles — about the size of Delaware.
The history of the Roma (Romani) and Sinti people in Europe is filled with discrimination and bias. That’s why mission co-workers Burkhard Paetzold, Al Smith, and the coordinator for the Middle East and Europe, Luciano Kovacs, helped plan and participate in a conference in Budapest recently, to reflect on the Churches’ history, relationship and interaction with the Roma. The conference was organized by the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME).
Representatives from Presbyterian World Mission and the Office of Public Witness in Washington, D.C., along with the National Council of Churches (NCC) and officials from other denominations welcomed a delegation of the Egyptian-U.S. Dialogue Initiative.
As the Israeli bombing of Gaza continues, the words of B’Tselem Director Hagai El Ad are ringing in the ears of the members of the PC(USA) delegation that visited Israel-Palestine two weeks ago — perpetual occupation and zero international consequences. He has taken that message to the United Nations General Assembly several times, most recently last fall, and delivered the same words to the delegation.
World Mission announced Friday it has named Luciano Kovacs as the new area coordinator for the Middle East and Europe. Kovacs is filling the position that became available when Phillip Woods became associate director for strategy, program and recruitment.
